Flexible handle spoon



Jan. '4, 1966 A. A. MOLINARO 3,226,825

v FLEXIBLE HANDLE SPOON Filed Feb. 16, 1965 7 4 fly 1W6 1W INVENTOR Age [0 A. Molina/'0 United States Patent 3,226,825 FLEXIBLE HANDLE SPOON Angelo A. Moiin'aro, 239 Trumbull Ave, Bridgeport, Conn. Filed Feb. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 433,067 I 4 Claims. (Cl. 30327) This invention generally relates to spoons and forks and more particularly to a flexible handle spoon designed with a grip portion, a flexible portion, and a clip such that in use by a child the flexible handle spoon is attached to the childs clothing, the childs wrist, a high chair, a bib, or other place so that the spoon cannot fall on the floor in the event that the implement is accidentally or intention ally dropped and by means of the flexible handle the spoon may be readily manipulated during the feeding operation.

An object of the invention is to provide a flexible handle spoon which is simple in construction, easy to use, well adapted for its intended purposes and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible handle spoon that can be attached to a childs wrist, the childs clothing, a bib, or other place, so that the flexible handle spoon cannot fall on the floor in the event that description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view. of a flexible handle spoon constructed in accordance with one form of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of a modified form of the flexible handle spoon;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of another form of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a side view of FIGURE 1, illustrating a side view of the invention.

Referring now more in detail to FIGURE 1 of the drawing there is provided a bowl 10 connected to arigid gripping portion 1 formed at its end 5 into a flexible portion 2. The gripping portion 1 allows the child to handle and manipulate the implement during the fee-ding operation. The flexible portion 2 is made of suflicient length to allow freedom of motion during the feeding operation. The upper end 4 of the flexible portion 2 is formed into a clip 3. The clip 3 shown in the drawing is of the hook type. However, any type of clip or attaching device may be formed and used here, which will be suitable for fastening the implement to a support, such as the childs clothing, the childs wrist, a high chair, a bib, or any other place.

The flexible handle spoon can be made of plastic or other suitable material, the flexible portions being made with a small cross sectional area, which may be of any suitable shape such as circular or square.

Referring now to FIGURE 2 of a modified form of the present invention, there is provided a closed loop 6 formed at the upper end 4 of the flexible portion 2. The loop 6 may be flexible or rigid. This form permits attaching the implement to a childs wrist, or other support, to prevent the implement from inadvertently falling. The flexible portion 2 permits the implement to be readily manipulated during the feeding operation. The lower end 5 of the flexible portion 2 is formed into a rigid gripping portion 1. The lower end of the gripping portion 1 being formed into the bowl 10.

Refer now to FIGURE 3. In this form of the invention there is provided a bowl 10 connected to a rigid gripping portion 1. The rigid gripping portion 1 is connected to the flexible portion 2 by means of a connector 9. The connector 9 can be of the releasable type. It allows the bowl and gripping portions to be made of a diflerentmaterial than the flexible portion 2. It also allows the gripping portion and bowl to be detached from the flexible portion 2. The upper end of the flexible portion 2 is connected to a clip 7 by means of a connector 8 which can be any suitable connector means. It may also be of the releasable type. The clip 7 as shown in this form of the invention is an open ring type which can be clipped to the childs wrist, a high chair, the childs clothing, a bib, or other place. The connector 8 allows the clip 7 to be made of different material than the material of the flexible portion 2. It also allows the clip 7 to be replaced with any other suitable attaching means. The invention as shownin FIGURE 3 is made as an assembly. The invention as shown in FIGURES l and 2 is made in one piece. The clip 7 in this form of the invention may be replaced with the closed loop 6 of FIGURE 2, the hook type clip 3 of FIGURE 1, an alligator type clip, or any other suitable means.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in theart, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus completely and fully described the invention, what is now claimed as new is as follows:

1. A flexible handle eating implement, for use in a feeding operation, having a rigid gripping portion whereby the implement can be held and manipulated, a rigid food engaging portion integrally formed at the lower end of said rigid gripping portion, and a flexible portion formed at the upper end of the said rigid gripping portion as a longitudinal extension thereof, said flexible portion having a clip on the end thereof remote from said rigid gripping portion whereby the implement can be secure-d to a support to prevent the implement from inadvertently falling during the feeding operation and said flexible portion permitting the implement to be readily manipulated during the feeding operation.

2. A flexible handle eating implement, for use in a feeding operation, having a rigid gripping portion whereby the implement can be held and manipulated, a rigid food engaging portion integrally formed at the lower end of said rigid gripping portion, and a flexible portion formed at the upper end of the said rigid gripping portion as a longitudinal extension thereof, said flexible portion haw'ng a closed loop on the end thereof remote from said rigid gripping portion whereby the implement can be secured to -a childs wrist, or other support to prevent the implement from inadvertently falling during the feeding operation and said flexible portion permitting the implement to be readily manipulated during the feeding operation.

3. A flexible handle eating implement, for use in a feeding operation, having a rigid gripping portion whereby Patented Jan. 4, 1966 the implement can be held and manipulated, a rigid food engaging portion integrally formed at the lower end or" the said rigid gripping portion, and a flexible portion forming a longitudinal extension of said rigid gripping portion, connected to the upper end of the said rigid gripping portion by means of a releasable connector, said flexible portion having a clip connected at its other end by means of a releasable connector, whereby the clip may readily be removed or replaced, said flexible portion permitting the implement to be readily manipulated during the feeding operation and said clip allowing the implement to be secured to a support to prevent the implement from inadvertently falling during the feeding operation. 4. A flexible handle eating implement as described in claim 3 wherein the said clip is an open ring type which permits the implement to be secured to a childs wrist or other support to prevent the implement from inadvertently falling during the feeding operation.

Des. 55,215

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Talbot 30-324 X Calef 30324 Patterson 30327 X Plasclascovitie 30327 X Hansen.

Krieger 30-324 Spangler 22428.1 Soderberg 30327 X Geckler 30324 France.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

JAMES L. JONES, JR., Examiner. 

1. A FLEXIBLE HANDLE EATING IMPLEMENT, FOR USE IN A FEEDING OPERATION, HAVING A RIGID GRIPPING PORTION WHEREBY THE IMPLEMENT CAN BE HELD AND MANIPULATED, A RIGID FOOD ENGAGING PORTION INTEGRALLY FORMED AT THE LOWER END OF SAID RIGID GRIPPING PORTION, AND A FLEXIBLE PORTION FORMED AT THE UPPER END OF THE SAID RIGID GRIPPING PORTION AS A LONGITUDINAL EXTENSION THEREOF, SAID FLEXIBLE PORTION HAVING A CLIP ON THE END THEREOF REMOTE FROM SAID RIGID GRIPPING 